Virasat Mela loses sheen due to advent of fog

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 10

As the sun shone bright on Saturday, rush of visitors also increased at the Virasat Mela at Jaipalgarh village, much to the respite of its organisers. The organisers had feared that the foggy weather in the region would lower the footfall at the mela. Though the serpentine cavalcade of tableau, animals and acrobats had entertained residents of the city while it made way to the Jaipalgarh village on Friday afternoon, the village itself had failed to register a large footfall.

On the second day of the mela, the display of tableaus remained the biggest attraction of the mela through the day. Students of government schools won public appreciation for exhibiting the culture of the state in their ‘Trinjan’ tableau. Besides displaying old ways of stitching and embroidering clothes at home, they also showcased the wood-fired chulha.

An artiste dressed as ‘Chachi Lutro’ regaled the visitors with his comic acts and conversations as a tribute to the popular characters of Atro and Chatro, brought to life by stage artistes Saroop Parinda and Deshraj Sharma.

At the ‘bhoonda wala baba’ tableau, a man dressed as a self-styled godman, skilled in exorcism and solving problems of the visitors, looked very much the part with his big black moustache and dreadlocks. Students of several government schools of the district presented Malwai Gidda, bhangra and other choreographical items, much to the delight of the audience.

Dhol players also brought to life the old tradition of beating dhols to celebrate a joyous occasion. As their symphony reverberated at the Jaipalgarh village, it made one wonder how technological advances changed the ways of celebrating events and rendered several unemployed.

A sand statue of Bhagat Singh which was being hyped as the biggest attraction of the mela was still being made on the second day as well.

“We had read about the statue at the mela but were disappointed to see that the sand statue of Bhagat Singh sitting on a cot is yet to be completed while it should have been ready before the inauguration of the mela as it would have been a new addition to the mela which otherwise has stock attractions,” said Avtar Singh, who had reached the mela with his family.